1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to improvements in hand tools and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to hand tools of the hammer type adapted for removably supporting a plurality of interchangeable working elements to provide a variety of hand tools having a common main body portion.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are many hand tools, similar to the well known hammer, in widespread use today which comprise working elements or tips carried by a handle for manipulation by a worker in order to accomplish a task. Whereas the handle for these many tools is normally substantially identical, the working element or tip thereof may vary greatly, and as a consequence, a worker must usually provide himself with a supply of many different tools in order that he will have the proper tool at hand for the many tasks he wishes to perform. In order to reduce the number of tools a worker must maintain in supply, and thus reduce the overall cost to the worker, hammers or hand tools have been developed which comprise handles having head members thereon adapted to receive a plurality of different tips or working elements. Many of these tools utilize complementary threaded members for securing the independent tips to the common handle, such as that shown in the Fitzgerald U.S. Pat. No. 1,121,085, issued Dec. 15, 1914, and entitled "Hammer." However, these threaded connections directly between the head and working element have certain disadvantages in that during normal use of tools of this type, the threaded elements may "back-off" and result in a loosening of the tip of the hammer and cause an inefficient operation of the tool.